High rise, or waterfall, water spouts are a popular option for modern kitchen sink faucets. High rise spouts permit pots and pans to be moved easily below the spout with less interference than normal sink water spouts. In addition to convenience, waterfall spouts offer excellent aesthetics and are recommended by kitchen designers.
Conventional low rise water spouts have a tube which defines the water spout of desired shape which is braised to a cast inlet fitting. An outlet of the conventional low rise water spout is often formed in the distal end of the spout. Such an outlet typically extends perpendicular to the spout, changing the direction of the water flow at the interface of the spout and outlet.
Typically, high rise water spouts used in commercial kitchens have a round tube bent in a J-shaped configuration. Water exits the distal end of the tube downwardly in the direction of the water flow. Commercial high rise water spouts are not favored in residential kitchens due to the lack of aesthetic appeal. They are, however, easy to form by normal tube bending operations. The distal end is threaded to receive an aerator or other fitting to form an outlet.
Recently, more stylized high rise water spouts have been developed using hydroforming techniques. Stylized hydroformed water spouts are generally formed by placing a curved tube in a hydroforming die. High pressure fluid is then injected into the tube. The tube expands under the fluid pressure to fill the cavity. After the hydroforming, the grain structure of the tube is expanded resulting in a low quality surface finish. Hydroformed tubes are then buffed and polished to improve surface finish and are coated with an enamel or other coating which can cover surface imperfections. Other stylized high rise water spouts are formed by braising a shaped tube to a cast outlet. Cast outlets are cast and machined and add considerable expense to the finished high rise water spout.